CMS Updates its Medicaid FAQ in Response to Coronavirus

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On Wednesday, March 18, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its Medicaid Frequently Asked Questions in response to queries about the novel coronavirus COVID-19. While this is a welcome development and the updated FAQ lists important Medicaid home care supports, it is critical to remember that Medicaid is administered by the states […]

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Mobilize Home Care and Hospice to Fight COVID-19

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GO HERE to tell COngress to act now on these urgent, common-sense reforms to allow patients to remain in their homes and stop the spread of the virus With the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 across the nation there are important steps that should be taken to slow the spread, flatten the curve […]

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CMS Issues Regulatory Waivers in Response to COVID-19

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On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On January 31, 2020, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar declared a national public heath emergency. These  two declaration  permit the  Secretary of HHS to invoke the 1135 waiver authority for  certain federal  regulations  in order […]

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National Hospice Groups Seek Relief from Congress to Address COVID-19 Concerns

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On Tuesday, March 17, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and other national hospice organizations wrote to key members of Congress urging action to address a wide range of concerns that hospice providers are experiencing in the wake of spread of the COVID-19 virus. While Congress, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid […]

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CMS Issues Revised COVID-19 Guidance for Nursing Homes with Clearer Exception for Hospice Workers

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NAHC advocacy wins key revision for hospice care The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has revised a memo issued last week to allow hospice workers to access facilities to provide care to patients. Last week NAHC reported on memos released by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Safety and Oversight Group […]

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Congress Passes Coronavirus Funding Bill

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Telehealth waivers passed, but do not apply to home health or hospice In response to spread of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, Congress passed an $8.3 billion supplemental appropriations package designed to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. This new federal spending that will largely be directed to the Department of Health and Human Services […]

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CMS Provides More Coronavirus Guidance for Home Health and Hospice

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On March 10 Quality, Safety and Oversight Group (QSOG) of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) released two  memos concerning COVID-19 guidance for home health and hospice providers: Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention Concerning Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by Hospice Agencies Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention Concerning Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) […]

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NAHC Urges CMS to Make Changes to Fight Coronavirus, Keep Patients in their Homes

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Homebound requirement flexibility and other changes needed The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has written a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, pointing out that providing quality health care in the home is one of the best ways to prevent transmission of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Therefore, it makes sense for CMS […]

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NAHC Adds Three Coronavirus Resources

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NAHC wants to make you aware that there are three new tools added to the NAHC coronavirus webpage: Patient Guide for COVID-19 Caregiver Guide for COVID-19 Guide for Cleaning and Disinfecting COVID-19 These resources were developed by NAHC and are provided in a format that allows you to customize them for use with your patients. […]

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COVID-19 Response: CMS Issues FAQs to Assist Medicare Providers

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On March 6, CMS issued frequently asked questions and answers (FAQs) for health care providers regarding Medicare payment for laboratory tests and other services related to the 2019-Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The agency is receiving questions from providers and created this document to be transparent and share answers to some of the most common questions. Included in the […]

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New COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Resource Page for Home Health & Hospice

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And a new COVID-19 announcement from the CMS The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has created a new resource page specifically for helping the home care and hospice community remain informed and deal safely and appropriately with the spread of COVID-19, the Coronavirus. The COVID-19 Resource Page will be updated constantly until […]

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Home Health and Hospice: Prepare NOW for the Coronavirus!

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A new webinar you cannot afford to miss. Use the coupon code at the bottom of this page NAHC members get half off price for the webinar so REGISTER NOW! Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19, was first discovered in China in December of 2019 in a cluster of pneumonia cases. This is a novel virus that is […]

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